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What a great place to live! The secret that Moorpark residents have known all along is out: the city ranked 62nd in Money Magazine's "Top 100 Best Places to Live survey," released earlier this week. The list features smaller places of 50,000 and under that offer the best combination of economic opportunity, good schools, safe streets, things to do and a real sense of community, according to the magazine's website at www.money.cnn.com. "We visited 25 places, but not Moorpark. Thus, the ranking for Moorpark was completely based on the statistics and data that we measure," said Phil DiIanni, spokesperson for Money Magazine. Moorpark is the only Ventura County town listed on the annual survey, which also assessed real estate and congestion rankings. "That's fabulous. We're all proud to get the recognition but we already knew this," said Councilmember Janice Parvin. City government, educators and residents should be credited for the accolade. The involvement of local businesses, services clubs and religious groups also contributed to the city's success, Parvin said. According to statistics, Moorpark residents are educated and well-employed, earning about $93,000 per year. Most children attend school within the city limits and they score above average in math and English tests compared to state averages. Moorpark is one of the safest cities of its size in the country. Ample open spaces and convenient access to downtown Los Angeles contributed to the good score, according to the magazine survey. Moorpark is quaint because citizens are also well connected to each other, said Parvin. "People move here for the small town feel. You pretty much know everyone in the community," she said. Local residents enjoy donating their time or services to volunteer in around town because they have fun while they do it, said long time resident Penny Patterson. The national recognition is also good for business, said Lisa Masotti, president of the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce. The good ranking shows other businesses that this is a flourishing community and a great place to start a business, said the Simi Valley resident. Unlike neighboring larger cities, Moorpark still has a close knit small town feel which helps residents to feel safer, she said. Good law enforcement is also a factor, said Jeff Matson, captain of the Moorpark Police. "The police department through aggressive enforcement and partnerships with the community contributes to maintaining the quality of life here," he said. The new state-of-the art Police Services Center which is home to three different law enforcement agencies proves that city leaders and residents want and support public safety, Matson said. People have to know that they're safe and secure in their homes before they can go on to create a great community, good schools and enjoyable parks, Matson said. With respect to schools, educators said they are pleased that Moorpark schools and students are recognized for their hard work. "But we don't hang our hats on test scores. They're just a onetime snap shot," said Anna Merriman, assistant superintendent of student services for the Moorpark Unified School District. Moorpark students prevail because each individual school offers comprehensive and diverse programs for all children. "There's just more to our school district than simply scores and that's what I encourage people to research," Merriman said. Residents of this city value education and hard work and they support students continuously, said Larry Jones, Moorpark High School teacher and coach of the winning Moorpark High Academic Decathlon team. Jones has lived in Moorpark for many years and he raised his family here. In addition to community spirit and good restaurants, Jones said he enjoys the easy access to the beach and the city. "When you add up all the objective and subjective factors it's pretty easy to see why we're in the'Top100,'"said Councilmember Keith Millhouse. The median home price of $653,794 is above the state average so it probably hurts the overall score, but Moorpark's low crime, tremendous park system and sense of community make up for the deficiency, he said. "The rest of the world is just finding out what I've known forever," said longtime resident and business owner Dale Whitaker. Moorpark has great weather and residents can still enjoy a rural lifestyle with modern conveniences nearby. But Whitaker said the results of the survey are a bit skewed because they didn't reflect crime statistics accurately. A lot of crime is unreported, he said. Truck traffic also is an ongoing concern, but some local officials are tackling the problem head on. "The truck issue needs to be the number one focus; we're not going to let it go," said Parvin who works with county and state officials to alleviate and eventually resolve the issue.
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